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Am I right in thinking that 1 BTEC is equivalent to 3 A levels - for example, could my DD keep the Uni doors open with a BTEC in acting and also wants to study Eng Lit at A level, so current plan is to do that, then apply for drama school. If she doesn't get in (trying to be both positive and realistic here), could she still apply to Uni for Drama and Eng courses? Head hurts!!

I think the A level equivalent depends on the Level of the BTEC - there are various different ones, but in general, a BTEC in 6th form does equate to 3 A levels. I imagine she would probably be able to apply for a drama course with a BTEC and Eng Lit A level but not necessarily an Eng Lit course - some English courses require you to have at least one other essay-based A level like History, Theology etc to read English Lit. It really does depend on the university so it's definitely worth spending some time researching this. All uni courses indicate what they will and won't accept.

paulears wrote:Most people who do foundation degrees over two years then do a top up to a BA - but usually in 18 months-ish. They don't start again and do 3 years. The first year of a BA is usually very, very basic - giving you skills needed for years 2 and 3. You will already have done that! Doing a Masters after the BA is fairly common - but usually indicates you just like study, rather than actually doing it.

i think with performing arts then its good to get out there after training as young as possible - and as you say, not doing a Masters after the BA because of the profession ? so very different to other professions where you now need a Masters to increase your chances of getting work, and for my ds for example he needs a PHd now, because of the competitive nature of his field - he went to a conference where he was the only person there who didn't have a Phd ! However, if you want to teach drama , (and good to do as a backup plan), you do need a Masters no ? or can you just take a PGCE after studying something like Drama and English at Uni ? this has been asked before I'm sure, so apologies

Sorry, have to disagree with you here Paulears. I'm basing this on conversations with UCAS this last week.

The uni funding is for 4 years, not 3, which allows students to be funded for a 3 or 4 year degree, or to start again after a bad first year. If you use 2 years of funding up on a 2 year FdA then you still have 2 years left. If you then do a full BA, and it could be in a different subject, you are funded for years 2 and 3, NOT year 1 only.

Whilst doing a FdA followed by a BA sounds daft to some it would make sense if you did a 2 year FdA Acting followed by an Acting BA at some where like BOVTS or LAMDA (can't imagine their 1st year is at all basic), or changed to say a Film Making BA. That way you would have several years of applying to BOVTS/LAMDA, apparently it can take several years and maturity is a good thing here,(and you have a chance to improve each year cos you are doing the FdA). Also whilst you are doing the FdA it gives you time to prepare a portfolio of work to support entry to a different discipline, say film making.

Also college are saying that BTECs are free if you are under 19 at the start of the year, so its possible to do 3 years worth....but they could have it wrong I guess!

As for looking to start work at 24...hopefully he will have been in the workplace during holidays and continued to build on the tons of experience gained so far!

Sorry about offensive use of the 'techy' word. Its what they all use at college......

tikka

tikka wrote:Also college are saying that BTECs are free if you are under 19 at the start of the year, so its possible to do 3 years worth....but they could have it wrong I guess!

yes they are free, I'm sure, as are Art Foundation Courses are free too
It is a quagmire, I'm not going mad afterall

Hardest bit is you phone up UCAS or a UNi and ask a question....but then you feel that to be on the safe side you'd like the answer in writing...just in case you ask someone else and get a different answer!

tikka

Genevieve wrote:

paulears wrote:Most people who do foundation degrees over two years then do a top up to a BA - but usually in 18 months-ish. They don't start again and do 3 years. The first year of a BA is usually very, very basic - giving you skills needed for years 2 and 3. You will already have done that! Doing a Masters after the BA is fairly common - but usually indicates you just like study, rather than actually doing it.

However, if you want to teach drama , (and good to do as a backup plan), you do need a Masters no ? or can you just take a PGCE after studying something like Drama and English at Uni ? this has been asked before I'm sure, so apologies

To go into teaching you usually need a degree plus a PGCE qualification (which is a course wher you recieve funding yourself rather than pay for it ). This is NOT a masters (which would be expensive).

I say usually as some teachers on Performing Arts courses etc my not have a degree but lots of experience instead. They can do a course when teaching to get QTS (Qualified teachers Status).

The problem with all of this is that things do not stay the same - the "goalposts" (whether that is uni funding, courses, criteria etc) tends to change all the time and it is hard to keep up or plan for more than a few years down the line.

useful to know Welshmum- and keeping on top of it all !. As for PGCE, found these links from Dept of Education -
http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-te ... h-qts.aspx
http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-te ... nding.aspx and funding after degree...
http://www.education.gov.uk/assets/~/me ... ements.pdf
Tikka - I rang UCAS and they told me that if my dd wanted to ring them herself they would be happy to discuss her UCAS application I told them I wanted to know about funding - so my dd had to call them, give permission for me to discuss her application, and then I had to call them again where they checked their records that I had permission to discuss her application, and when I finally got to ask my questions...aarrrgghhh, ... I was cut off

Genevieve wrote: I rang UCAS and they told me that if my dd wanted to ring them herself they would be happy to discuss her UCAS application I told them I wanted to know about funding - so my dd had to call them, give permission for me to discuss her application, and then I had to call them again where they checked their records that I had permission to discuss her application, and when I finally got to ask my questions...aarrrgghhh, ... I was cut off

easiest way to ask general questions to not to say you have submitted an application!
tikka

Genevieve wrote:Tikka - I rang UCAS and they told me that if my dd wanted to ring them herself they would be happy to discuss her UCAS application I told them I wanted to know about funding - so my dd had to call them, give permission for me to discuss her application, and then I had to call them again where they checked their records that I had permission to discuss her application, and when I finally got to ask my questions...aarrrgghhh, ... I was cut off

if you think this is bad, may i recommend trying to deal with the affairs of a blind and elderly parent. my brother's emails to sky were magnificent

(he pointed out that he could drag any elderly gent in off the street to say they were my dad as he - my brother - had absolutely all the relevant infomation, account nymbers, passwords etc to hand)

it can get very frustrating when you're trying to convince someone of your identity - but I guess it's good that its very thorough

This is all very fascinating & I didn't even know this section existed sorry

DD feels as a dancer that her career will be relatively short so wants to study 'properly' at 16 (as we established on another thread I don't Know what properly is )

The learning curve is steep and I keep slipping back to the bottom; but I guess I supply of brochures & prospectuses will help

She has nearly completed a Dance BTec - but what level that is? anyone's guess?

I don't know enough to be the mum of a dancer

It will be in the full title - so could be Level 2 or 3. It's difficult to go by the years of study - because schools take two years to do a Level 2 that a college does on 1. The full title on all the documents she has should say either the Level somewhere - but beware that some titles are similar A first Diploma, or Certificate will be Level 2, extended Diploma, National Diploma and National Certificate would be Level 3. That's not technically quite correct, because the titles were changed last year, confusing it a bit more!

A good friend of mine (and I've mentioned this before) had dance lessons when she was a kid, and went to a college and did her Level 3/A Level study - but when she went to uni she studies physiotherapy - and got a BSc - while doing it she joined every dance/perf arts group she could to keep her hand in (or should that be legs?) She then auditioned for dance jobs, and between them works part-time as a self-employed physio for BUPA. Hugely better paid too. When she got to about 34, her prod dance jobs dried up - wrinkles really do cost jobs - even just the eye ones! So as performing dried up, she upped her physio work. I always employed her on my shows because having a physio in the company was a Godsend. So she now specialises in dance and sports injuries - which are very similar. People who hurt themselves on purpose as part of their work. I have another friend who did the performing arts only route, and her degree is in performing arts - when she is not singing, she does anything she can, usually at close to National Minimum Wage. When she sings, it's not a huge amount more. Out of these two girls, roughly the same age now, one has a house, a car, and nice holidays - the other doesn't! They're both doing Performing Arts of one kind or another.

DD has worked that out - there are no old dancers & few young dancers

She (apparently) intends to do her associate qualifications with ISTD (probably Ballroom & Latin initially) then to supplement her income by holding dance classes (for people getting married & children) while she studies at college. The only falter on that is she can't start her associates until she has finished competing (& she can't start competing until she gets a new partner)

She also wants to go to college somewhere she can do her DDI & DDE, and recently started looking at a PCE (or something like that) with Performing Arts

I cringe slightly as 'accountant' and 'teacher' sound so nice & safe & secure; but as I'm on my 7th or 8th career move I'm not too worried about what she does for the first 10-15 years & I can hardly object to her not going to uni as I failed after year 2 & was thrown out I got my degree (finally) this January - OU

Her Btech has been done in a year & all I know about it is that it has 3 units.

Accountant may be secure - but teaching certainly isn't any longer. One of my old students was Head of Dance at a local high school. Her college friend was their part-time colleague. She went off on maternity leave and her friend stepped up to full-time - and did one and a half jobs. When the maternity leave finished, the Headof Dance came back, and instead of going back to part-time, she was told she wasn't needed at all, made redundant and the girl returning was expected to do it all herself!

Most new teachers get taken on with a zero hours contract so their hours can be varied and for mortgage purposes, no good at all. My niece has just got her first permanent teaching job - after these horrible zero hours ones. Schools and colleges are no longer jobs for life. My old college lost the entire department when we all left within a year - and now all bar one are on these part-time variable contracts so that as numbers rise and fall, they can adjust the teaching hours to compensate. It's not what it was - hence why some of us got out. Returning to the industry was risky, but for me has worked out - but income is not what it was when I was teaching - but stress levels far less.

When I went around to schools and colleges as a verifier of Performing Arts courses it was increasingly obvious that something was very wrong - the worst I came across was three teachers over a two month period. The first one I contacted to arrange the visit left, and by the time I visited, the replacement had been replaced. Long term sickness is increasing too. I blame constant tinkering with the courses and the ever present ofsted - which has become so critical that it's more important than teaching. Your idea for dance classes is a popular one, but so many people are doing this in some areas there is a surplus of classes available.

BTEC wise 3 units suggests a Level 2 qualification to me - probably a First Certificate. The smallest Level 3 is usually 6 units. Actually I just noticed your original post mentioned 16 - so it's very unlikely she'd have done an A Level at 16, so it would be the same with BTEC - only a tiny number of schools do Level 3 with 16 and unders.